Do not run electrical wire between or beneath door jambs as this wire pinching may create excessive heat and cause a fire

Cut Christmas trees, hay bales, or other dried vegetation are prohibited for use inside university buildings

Use only electrical equipment including extension cords and Christmas tree lights, and other equipment that bears Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approval tags or other recognized test laboratory designations

Unblock exit paths in rooms, offices, and hallways and have no longer needed furniture and equipment picked up by Surplus Property

Lower office temperature thermostats to the holiday setting of 55◦F

At Home: Remember to install fresh batteries in each of your smoke detectors; there should be a smoke detector in each bedroom. Inspect your fire extinguisher and shake up the caked powder inside

Attempt to open bedroom windows to ensure that they have not been inadvertently painted shut

Water your live Christmas tree frequently

A wise man once said, “There are two things you should never leave unattended, those being newly poured concrete that needs to be leveled out before it dries; and food on the stove during its cooking process.”

Alicia Kelso is editor of UofLNews and UofL Today. She joined UofL in 2015 as communications director of the Brandeis School of Law. Prior, she was the editorial director of foodservice media for Networld Media Group, where her work was featured in publications around the world, including NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Good Morning America and Franchise Asia Magazine. She continues to serve as a contributor for many publications, including QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com and Innovation Leader.